Category: Poetry

I did write my first song lyrics and sent them to my friend, Justin. Hopefully, he’ll be able to compose something for the verse. But I wanted to show that I faced that fear of “Oh, you can’t do that”! I did. I’m not sure if it is really a song, but I do like the words. Here it is:

I see youEveryday
Walking down the sidewalkInvisible

The crowd passes by
Consumed in their own thoughts
Looking past you
or staring at their phone

In a hurry going somewhere
In a hurry going nowhere
Standing on the side
Watching them go by

I see youEveryday
Walking down the sidewalk
Invisible

You are not alone
I walk these sidewalks
On my own
Wanting to see

Too much distraction
Eyes heavy with the burden
of the lifethey walk to and from

I see youEveryday
Walking down the sidewalk
Invisible

I see it in your eyes
You want to stop them
Ask them to see youAnd not just walk on by

But this world is no longer lived on the streets
Neighbors don’t know each other
The weirds looks they give youWhen you say hi as you pass by

I see youEverydayWalking down the sidewalk
Invisible

You’ve caught my attention
I don’t want to walk alone
Come along with me
Side by side

Like this:

The whistle was blown; the race began
A sunrise on a crisp autumn day; a new beginning
Love was a waterfall crashing down; the story of my life
A longing from the bottom of my soul; unwanted comfort
I was left behind; wasteful

The dream took me home; wellness took hold
Gravity held me to the earth; the magic came from my soul
It was not time to release my power; the only gift I had left to give
Grew roots to the earth; took up space without shame
I was left behind; grateful

I smile. I laugh.
“Ya, I’m fine.”
I needed that punch and knocked off my feet.
I needed the discomfort so I would not be the same

In the spotlight
In front of the audience
Or looking in the mirror
Right before the fight begins

I show off all that is good
I bask in the sunshine
I’m not afraid to step in the ring
If I’m not afraid of what will be exposed

I saw my opponent. I knew what I was about to battle.
I had to face my fear. Afraid to show how I feel.
Terrified of rejection if I am vulnerable
With not just the good, but the bad and the ugly as well.

I saw the only way for me to win
Was for my vulnerability to throw the punch
I dropped my arms and didn’t fight
To put my soul on display in the ring for all to see

I woke up on the other side of the 10 count
Terrified I would be alone
But no one had left
They were all by my side

It’s for the best vulnerability won
I’m sure the next fight is already being scheduled
But I’m hoping the next match won’t be so bad
Since I survived this round

Like this:

Watch my reading of Utah’s Big 5 at the Talent Salad at the Ogden Comedy Loft. Thanks to Matt Tse for recording!

I’m a little obsessed with Utah’s public lands. Some of the world’s most magnificent geologic wonders exist within the boundaries of this state. There are politicians here who don’t understand the wonder of these lands. All they see is the possibility for a quick profit. From the geologic record preserved in the sandstone to the living history from Ancestral Puebloans to Fremont and Anasazi Indians to Ute, Piute, and Navajo tribes to Spanish explores to white fur traders to Mormon settlers. These formations have stories to share from many millennia. The value can’t be defined in mined dollars or drilled black gold. The politicians don’t understand what the earth has given birth to here. I love these lands. My nature is their nature. My love letter to Utah’s Big 5.

I chase deep into your Canyonlands
I prowl the River arteries of your heart.
Let me join with you in the Confluence of our Green need.
I know this is not a safe ride.
Your Raging Rapids turn me up inside.
It’s not a game either as I find my way through your Maze.
Please take your time as you ride along my White Rim. Come home to me!
And let the Meteorite of your love explode into my Upheaval Dome.

There are no Barriers to our love.
but your Reef does stop me in my tracks.
Slither along the curves and wrinkles of my Waterpocket Fold.
Erect Cathedrals that reach to the heavens to celebrate this love.
Oh Wayne, your Wonderland makes me moan.

Peakaboo, I see you, my love!
As I Switch Back deep into your recesses.
Not a canyon that the river of our love rushes through
but an Amphitheater where the curtains rise to your performance of love.
My spires swell up to the Rainbow’s Point
Where my love casts voodoo on your Hoodoo!

Your love Tunnels straight into my heart.
Oh you get me so hot!
Whoops! There went my Flash Flood
Straight into your Virgin River
God, don’t get distracted by Angel’s Landing.
Ride Kolob straight into my Narrows
And erect the Subway of our love.

Maybe our politicians are right. Maybe we do have a porn problem. They’d rather have Utah fucked by industry than celebrate nature’s psalms.

Like this:

Mt. Ogden stretches toward the sky on the West. I climb the scree field to get to the source of your wonder. The water flows from your peak and over the cliff to claim my heart. The snow mates with the sun on those upper rises to send that vibrant stream down the slopes until it explodes into a waterfall that seeds life into the soil below. Here, I am taken by your power. The feeling rises from the depths of my soul and I moan, oh god, you make me whole!

Into my heart, your river flows. It races down the canyon, flowing past rock and rubble. The swift cool water centers the deep crevices carved in mountain walls. I jump in the current and become part of the flow. Hug each curve of the river, feel each swirl, get swallowed in each eddy, as the flow paints the bottom edge of the mountains above. Your wet, wild river fertilizes the banks as it races from this canyon into the heart of Ogden.

To the north sits great Ben, I want to climb your peak and lose myself in your enormous rise that smiles down on Ogden below. Let me caress your curves along the trail and stroke each pass as I climb your mount. The thought of your rugged ways makes me quiver inside. When I summit and reached the climax of your mountain crest, I will embrace you in my nature’s womb.

My passion for Ogden drives from north to south. Come cruise along the Vard to create our love song. Let me shift your stick and honk your horn. Vroom, Vroom, our engines rev. Don’t drive too fast, we want to make this ride last. Swoop down past the temple that tries to mock our sin. But this town’s wild can’t be reined in. Let’s pull into the Bigelow to grab a room, to know why it pays to live in Ogden.

The ebb and flow of this city rides along the tracks. Let the steam build as the car rocks along the rails. The cha-tunk, cha-tunk, cha-tunk rhythm drives the beat of my heart. Your flame burning coals get me so hot. My face turns red and beads of sweat form at my crown as the engine builds pressure. You pull into my station. I let go. AAAAAA screams my whistle to signal you came home.

Let’s walk this night, down the historic steps of 25thstreet. A place where history won’t hide it wild side. Let’s learn from those who’ve wandered these streets before and tumbled on the bedsheets behind the walls of lore. Take me in, you, brothels of the past and saloons of the present. Have your way with me, untame me, set me free, my beautiful Ogden. To you, I’ll always be your whore.

Like this:

I’ve been super inspired from the youth in the US being agents in change. It’s so cool to watch them step forward to create the world they want to live in.

Poetry is a weird thing for me. Sometimes, I have to go through a long process to get the poem worked out. Other times, the poems fall right out of my head and I just need to put pen to paper. Shortly after the Parkland shooting, I drove past Ogden High and flag was at half-mast and started to cry. I made it to Kaffe Merc and pulled out my laptop. This poem fell out of my head. It is in honor of those students who are standing up for their rights to go to school without the fear of being shot dead.

Dead at Half-Mast

I drove by Ogden High where the flag is at half mast
It broke my heart and rage rose up from my gut
How can we even fly the flag right now with kids getting killed in the classroom?
It’s a stain on our nation!

Oh, you might say that’s a disrespect to our soldiers.
But isn’t worse that we send out soldiers to protect our nation, but we can’t keep their children safe at home?

I’m tired of the labels – it’s guns, it’s mental illness, it’s lack of respect, it’s lack of discipline of our kids
These labels are symptoms – I’m afraid it is much worse.
Right now our nation is diseased and that disease is weaponized.
Salve on the wound won’t work.

Time for the dirty work to figure out what the fuck is wrong with us as a nation.
How we get so involved in the blame game.
To avoiding looking deep within the sickly soul of our nation.
The blood is on each of our hands and this game to avoid responsibility isn’t working.
Our children are dying!

No matter what the talking heads say, we can’t make america great again until we stop this bloodshed.
Our society makes it so easy to dehumanize another.
A nation that assigns different lives different values.

Born in a constitution that defined wealthy white male landowners as valuable, and everyone else not.
With each mini-revolution trying to redefine who might also have value
But at out nation’s core is a desire to dehumanize another to establish value
That dehumanization is done through violence.

I’ve seen the question – do guns have more value than our children.
I want to vomit.
But until we face the hard questions
It’s time de-weaponize the disease.

My heart does swell to watch the youth stand up and yell.
They aren’t afraid to fight for change.
Question the adults on how they hide from this disease.
These kids are our future. Let them lead the fight.
So one day they can stand with pride and know they won’t die
Under a flag hung at half-mast at their school

Like this:

I heard from Leonides that today is Pome in your pocket day. Here’s what I’m carrying around with me:

In the flash of a moment, I caught a glimpse of the inner workings of your soul. Something you’ve tried to keep hidden, a part that you aren’t ready to show. It’s the light that seeps out through the cracks when life breaks your heart.